Moving Foward
by Sylverlyf
Summary: Kim Possible, World Saving Hero, has deceided to retire from the public light.
1. End of an Era

Standard Disclaimer applies: I do not own Kim Possible or any of their disneytastic characters. Forecast for this story: Possibility of Kigo is moderate to high, with a chance of OOC (Although I prefer to call it growing up). Also my writing style is not a recognized one, if you have read any of my other works you kinda know it by now. Chaos Legibility, I'm thinking of calling it. So don't expect MLA formatting and sentence structure.

**End of an Era**

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><p>Kim limped into her apartment late from a mission, the sting of the bullet graze on her thigh prominent in her mind causing it to feel larger then it was. She moseyed into the kitchen pulling out a cup of cold yogurt and as she sat in the dark eating the frozen treat she sighed.<p>

Kim had been on many, many missions before. Doing such a dangerous job that tested her talents and challenged her potential, was very fulfilling. She loved helping people, running at top speeds though areas most had never heard of, facing new and exciting challenges; but sometimes she wished she could slow down. Sometimes, more often than not lately, Kim felt she had fell into the status quo of her world saving gig.

Status quo meaning rut at this point in her life.

Tonight was a prime example. Another 'take over the world' scheme from a new villain trying to make a name for themselves. She had went into the lair, head first like always, expecting the situation to be like the last one, maybe with a few new shiny toys for a challenge.

She'd been through deathtraps, spinning tops of doom, mutant DNA retro viruses, truth rays and many other close calls. She could always expect the villains to try something like that. The scenario was not a new one, many had popped up in the last few years. What was new was the fact that this particular villain had used lethal firearms.

That complacency had go her shot. Could have gotten Ron killed if he had been with her or herself killed had she been any less skilled. Status quo almost got her killed tonight.

Kim shook her head, slightly nauseated at the thought.

Apparently, said villain had not checked the Villains' forum for protocol before setting up her defenses; she now sat in a maximum security prison serving out a lifetime sentence without the chance of parole. Had she followed the Basic Villains' Protocol she would have gotten a minimum security prison and more than likely the villain community would have at least attempted to bust her out.

In the back of her mind, Kim knew a day would come when and the villain community would grow up, she would have grow up as well. . Even the young age of 16, she had known that this job, this calling, might one day get her killed. She had never considered that One Day might be today.

Kim frowned at the empty yogurt cup.

She knew she had two choices. Step up or step back.

Stepping up meant more intensive training, longer hours and very likely compromising of the core values and integrity she had worked so very hard to keep intact despite the many situations had almost caused her to slip. She couldn't see any other way forward.

Stepping back meant letting other capable people take over the job once she left. She could take a breather from the constant missions, focus on collage, find another path to what she might be capable of helping the world just as much, if not more. It had many possibilities, new roads to take.

It was time to call it a night.

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><p>Flipping bored though the channels, Shego lounged back on the bed. She stopped when she saw a familiar redhead on the news channel.<p>

Shock coursed though the woman as she read the caption.

'World Saving Hero, Kim Possible, Retiring!'

"Ms. Possible, what caused this sudden change? Don't you want to keep saving the world." one reporter asked.

"Mr. Harson," Kim began.

"Please call me Todd," the reporter cut in hastily.

"Todd, It's not that I am quitting the world saving bit," Kim hesitated, then her posture changed to a more confidant stance, "but I plan to focus my efforts away from missions and move up to a larger scale. I believe I have more to offer then the same services provided by our armed forces and police districts. I plan to drop back and let the law enforcers do the enforcing, after all that's what they dedicate their lives to: Enforcing the law, to serve and protect the people. Awesome motto by the way." Kim smiled over at the small cluster of police and military officers standing off to the side of the conference stage. "They are highly skilled professionals who deserve much more credit than they ever see."

"Ms. Possible can you please be more specific as to what your plans are?" the reporter asked.

Kim shook her head, "Not at this time, no. I do however wish to send out a message." She focused on the camera, green eyes blazing in challenge. "I wish however steps up to fill my shoes the best of luck," her gaze softened slightly, "and goodbye to all of those who helped me get where I am today. Thank you."

Shego watched numb as Kimmie walked off stage, waving off any more questions.

"What the heck is going on with you, Pumpkin?" Shego mumbled, frowning harshly.

* * *

><p>The news sent shockwaves of emotion around the world.<p>

It caused a sadness, almost mourning, to the people had helped over the years. Who would save them if something happened? Who would they look up to be a role model for their children? Despite the grief, many friends and family were relieved to hear the news that Kim would no longer be putting herself in that kind of danger.

On the flip side, it caused an almost sweeping epidemic of elation in the Villains' community as well as a few opportunists. The few months following Kim's announcement reflected a fury of chaos. The super villains rallied up with new schemes and efforts to take over the world since they believed no one was there to stop them.

Those thoughts were swiftly crushed as new heroes came out of the woodworks, effectively halting the attempts. The new heroes were often brutal in their takedowns, not even giving the villains' the courtesy of waiting for the rant to finish or even being at times.

Due to the sometimes overzealous nature of the new line of heroes, Jack Hench's insurance premiums went through the roof and henchmen retention was at an all time low.

The commotion died down almost as swiftly as it had risen up.

Kim Possible knew the rules, these new heroes did not, so being an evil super villain was not that fun anymore. Most of her old foes started considering a new line of work.


	2. Inspiration

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

**Inspiration**

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><p>*Two years later*<p>

Punch, duck, punch, low kick, weave, high kick. The heavy bag danced with each movement of the lithe fighter.

Kim was working out in the gym to clear her head. The physical exertion always lead to some idea, unblock paths not seen before, or at least the release of endorphins to carry her further into the all night projects.

Kim flexed her sore muscles. Muscles that should not have been that sore for the hour long workout she had been doing.

Kim flew into one of her tumbling routines hoping to stretch out some of the tightness in her muscles. She added in a few martial arts as well to push up the challenge.

'I've been spending too much time in the lab' Kim thought, flipping and springing across the dark blue floor mat. 'I will try to find a dojo near or sparring partner to go at it on my off days. There's no way I can keep up my skills much less improve if I don't keep working at it.'

Less than a year after her withdraw from the hero gig, Kim found her niche in the most unlikely of places.

While she had just finished her BS before her retirement from crime fighting, she switched up her focused scheduling and began taking a vast array of electives in graduate college. She pursued subjects from many different fields and angles in an effort to find something that seemed to fit her, to call to her. That inspiration she was looking for came in the form of two of the random classes she was taking; robotics and a medical class.

She had discovered new possibilities to repair muscle tissue and arteries using nanotechnology.

The first few months were mostly research and hypothesis wrangling, getting what she could see in her head on paper and checking what she could of that data. She had approached Wade to collaborate on the project; as she had been thinking of eventually developing a prototype nanite, as well as using it for her main thesis. The resulting thesis and prototype had gotten Wade and herself their doctorates'.

They had decided to work together and form a company to establish business accounts to manage the grants and funding used for the research and development. Preferring to work without the publicity, they decided not to want to work off of a noticeable name. Between the two of them the naming of the company took longer then establishing it. Thus the founding of L&P Laboratories.

While Wade worked many different projects in many different areas, Kim's main focus remained on the medical application of the nanites. Her current project was working on programming the nanites to encapsulate and remove exact DNA sequences and tissue structures; the 'cure' for certain types of cancer or at least a controlling agent for it spreading. Kim also had in mind encoding the nanites to possibly improve a damaged or compromised immune system as a future project.

The hardest part of their challenging project, so far, was finding a way to flush the nanonites out of the system after the repair was complete. The nanites continued to look for issues instead of flushing out of the system once the function had been completed. All the encoded exiting procedures had failed to enable itself, leaving some of the healthiest rats Kim had ever seen.

At the first live round of experimentation, Kim had been against using any kind of animals at all. She had learned in one of her classes that subjects were inflicted with the "illnesses" for the testing phases. Wade pointed out that the rats he had selected were already sickly and they would not be inducing the sicknesses only seeking to see if their project could cure it.

She was still worried about the long term effects of nanites left in the system. She often pondered that they might fail and getting stuck in the system and slowly poisoning the subjects or getting corrupted and doing damage instead of helping.

Another possibility would be they continually keeping the subject in repair, effectively prohibiting old age from affecting the subject. While the last didn't sound like a bad idea at first, the more she contemplated the repercussions the further they reached.

Overpopulation seemed to be the biggest of possibilities. Draining of resources on an already strained planet. Overcrowding, enlargement of the gap between the have and have-nots. Endless problems.

A smaller issue she encountered had been introduced to came in the form of GJ. Dr. Director, who had approached her with the idea of coding the nanites to "enhance" some of her operatives. Kim, of course, refused the proposal; stating the usage of the nanites were not stable at this time and that she was not going to develop them toward that goal.

The idea that someone could use her research to make a super soldiers who were easily repaired and had enhanced abilities though the use of her nanites made Kim a little concerned.

Kim had learned over the years, no matter how good the intentions of others, having that much concentrated power in one source would develop issues of the moral and ethical kind.

The some problems seemed to create other problems.

Kim's project that had kept her up tonight consisted of making the nanites program formulate encoded DNA for targeting. The super active young woman often missed the activity involved in globetrotting, but she had found her work in the lab very fulfilling. She knew what she was doing now had the potential to help solve a lot of illnesses and restore a quality of life for generations to come.

Her determination had strengthened and she felt she could return to the lab in order to continue the work that needed to be done.

She stopped her routine with a final spin kick and dropping into stanza. Sweat slicked down her form, as well as dripping from her face from the exertion.

The chime on her watch went off. She absentmindedly turned it off, toweling her face.

Her eyes snapped open wide, 'Wait a minute! That chime is an alert for lab intrusion!'

"Crap!" Kim sprinted down the narrow hallway, adrenaline sliding though her system with the familiarity of an old friend.

She went over the possibilities of who or what it could be. As of late, she had received a few threat letters as well as the attempted break in last week that didn't make it through the front door. Whatever or whoever it was, they couldn't possibly know what they were getting into.

She burst thought the door of the lab, immediately falling into combat stance.

She halted at a dead stop, all thought frozen, at the sight before her.

"Hello, Princess." Shego smirked, sitting casually on her desk.

"S..Shego?" Kim sputtered.

Her eyes narrowed, tensing her stance as she saw the pale green villainess' smirk grew.

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><p>AN: Thank you all for the encouragement. sometimes good stories get shelved due to lack of feedback. Feed your bards :)<p> 


	3. Bedeviled

**Standard Disclaimer: See CH 1**

**Bedeviled**

Shego drank in the sight of Kim, sliding her smirk wider to hide the emotions flooding her.

Kim looked well, older with the absence of baby fat around her face and a little taller then she had been at twenty. Even with the slightly darkened circles at the bottom of her eyes and her sweat dampened hair, she still looked good to Shego.

It had taken Shego everything she had not to hunt the girl down two years ago, when the announcement had been made, and demand an explanation.

It helped that Draken went a little giddy with happiness after he had found out about Kim's retirement. Plotting and executing plan after plan, only to be knocked down by the 'wannabes', as Shego called them. They always seemed to show up after she had been sent out, sneaking in and taking Draken to jail or the hospital, which ever was needed first.

She had however paid a visit the that little piss ant who had shot at Kimmie, leaving a warning for future villains. She hadn't killed the woman, but she had left a mark on the woman as a reminder along with a few whispered words to the terrified woman.

Shego had found the thief life was quite boring after Kimmie dropped out of the game. No one could apprehend her, much less catch her in the act. The alarms and security weren't worth tripping because she didn't like the wannabes and had no interest in fighting them, much less getting shot at by them.

Since she had not been caught, nor charged with any thefts or conspiracies since the invasion, Shego's record remained clean. All in all, Shego had decided early retirement was a good call.

But damn it was boring!

Her smirk slipped as a genuine smile of affection crossed her features, making the retired hero falter in her stance.

"How have you been?" Shego asked casually, keeping her smile in place because she could tell it freaked the hero out a bit.

"I've been better."Kim replied, pausing, "why are you here?"

Shego watched as Kim tilted her head to the side as if trying to figure out her game.

She chuckled, "Kimmie, I'm here on business."

"Business" Kim queried.

Shego nodded.

"Here?" Kim asked frowning

Shego nodded.

"At night?" Kim asked scowling, slipping back into her fighting stance.

Shego nodded, suppressing an urge to giggle at Kim's expression changes.

"Are you here to steal something?" Kim asked, her face set with that grim determination Shego remembered so well.

Shego arched a brow, smirking deviously "And if I were?"

"I wouldn't let you get away with it." Kim said though gritted teeth.

Shego chuckled, holding up her hands, "As much as I've missed hearing you say that princess, I'm actually here on request from your partner. You know, Nerdlinger? Though, I'm surprised you turned into a lab geek. Figured you more for the brute force gal considering you last line of work." She teased.

"So your saying Wade gave you the codes to enter the building and do what exactly?" Kim asked doubtfully, shifting her stance in a tell tell sign of pending attack.

"Ah, ah, Kimmie. I'm a security consultant now, not a thief," Shego grinned. "At least as far as the books show. So no. No codes. He wanted to see if I could break in undetected, and as you were working late tonight.." Shego said.

Kim smirked, "You set off my wrist alarm."

Shego matched her smirk, "I got tired of waiting for you to show up."

Kim snorted and relaxed a little. "Same Shego."

"Why thank you, Princess. What a lovely complement," Shego laughed.

Kim rolled her eyes, "Figures you would take it as such."

The watched on Shego's wrist lit up, "Times up, Shego. Have you?.. drat you're in. The GPS shows you're in Kim's lab. When can I expect the report on the deficiencies and suggestions?" Wades voice asked out of the tiny wrist monitor.

"Wade," Kim asked in a scary tone that had even Shego's eyes widening, "Why did you hire Shego and not tell me?"

"Oh no, Uh Kim, hi. what are you up to?" Wade asked scrambling for a distraction technique.

"Wade." That one word sent Wade silent in defeat.

"Excuse wise, do you want the truth or the one I spent all day practicing in case you found out?" he sighed.

Shego could tell Kim was trying to hold her frown, "Well I wouldn't want you to have wasted your time so give me the practiced one first."

Wade cleared his throat, "Kim, as you know our research projects are top secret and sensitive materials. I wanted to upgrade the security system to ensure its integrity and safety."

Shego blinked.

"Hey! That's what you told me the issue was!" Shego started angrily.

"And the truth?" Kim asked, amusement creeping into her eyes as she watched Shego growl.

Shego watched Kim's expression stay frowning as Kim's eyes changed. She always thought it was intriguing how Kim's face could say one thing while her eyes would tell a different story.

Wade sighed, "I've been really worried about the threatening letters you have been getting. and the attempted break in last week was an eye opener. What if they got in and you weren't expecting it? I know how safe you feel in that lab and I know your very capable of taking care of yourself, but Kim, there is always someone better or meaner or luckier out there. I was worried."

"Whoa. Someone is threatening Kimmie and you didn't tell me?" Shego demanded, outraged.

She began thinking of all the additional security to add to the current layout of things here in the lab. Securing objects was one thing. Securing a person was another. She wasn't about to tell Kimmie she had just come from the redhead's apartment.

"Why would he tell you? It's my business," Kim growled. "Mine, Wade."

"Kim, normally I would agree, but this psycho is writing poetry about cutting you up into little pieces and other non healthy psycho stuff! Your my friend so I'm taking this seriously even if you don't!" Wade yelled, worry about his friends lack of concern for her safety.

"Damn it, Wade!" Kim began.

"He's right, Pumpkin. you should take these things seriously." Shego said quietly.

Kim glared at Shego, looking slightly betrayed, "How would you know? You haven't even seen the letters! I'm not locking myself in my room and avoiding life just come some sicko wants my dead or worse!"

"No I haven't, yet, but I didn't hear him say to close yourself off. All he is doing is trying to make the environments you stay in more secure. Those things don't effect anything you are doing or how you live your life. He is just being a good friend." Shego stated rationally. "And it's my job to provide information on helping up security." She glared at Wade's little face on the wrist com, "Something I can't do properly if I don't have all the information I need."

Wade looked sheepish, "Sorry, Shego. Kim likes to keep her personal life personal so she didn't want anyone knowing. I figured I'd be in enough trouble once she figured out what I was doing."

Shego nodded, "I can understand that, but not when it comes to her safety. I'm assuming you haven't contacted the authorities?"

"Stop talking as if I am not standing right here." Kim scowled.

"Stop reacting like you were five and take this seriously. Once you do, you're welcome to join the grown up discussion," Shego said harshly.

Kim's eyes narrowed at the insult. She crossed her arms defensively.

Shego snorted in frustration, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm the hell down.

"Ok, look, Princess. I realize this cant be an easy topic, and given who you are you probably think you can face whatever is thrown at you. But trust me , Wade is right in this case. That over confidence can be used against you." Shego stated, "We can do a few things to mitigate the risks of someone breaking in undetected as well as setting up a few protection places if they are ever needed. Neither of which would cause you to have to change anything you are doing now besides maybe adding a keycard to the exits. See easy. No fuss no muss."

"Ok." Kim sighed, in defeat. "Install what is needed. I don't want to mess with this anymore tonight."

"Now," Shego smiled grimly, "Show me the letters, Kimmie."


End file.
